Deptford council honors police officers of the year

(From left to right) Rudy Ruiz, Sgt. Joseph Smith and Eric Strouse were all honored at a Deptford Council meeting on Monday, April 8, 2014, for the Officers and Supervisor of the Year awards.

DEPTFORD — The township honored its Officers and Supervisor of the Year at Monday night’s council meeting.

The police department and council recognized two officers, Rudy Ruiz and Eric Strouse, as well as Sgt. Joseph Smith, in front of a crowd of nearly 300 people, including family, colleagues and friends.

“Every year we pick out a couple guys that really stand out,” said Chief William Hanstein. “This year was a little bit different. I got some input from the officers that work with these people and got a really good response. We look at the guys who go above and beyond.”

Smith, a 16-year member of the force, earned the title of Supervisor of the Year.

“It’s a great honor, since a lot of the input went from the officers that work for me,” he said. “I feel positive about making a difference in their lives as well as the general public.”

Ruiz is a veteran of both the Iraq and Afghanistan wars and serves in the U.S. Army Reserve at the rank of Sgt. 1st Class. He has made more than 600 arrests, many of which were drug-related, according to Hanstein. Ruiz has worked under Smith for the past four years.

“It’s such an honor to be honored alongside my supervisor,” he said. He was particularly supportive of his colleagues, saying “I can’t think of two guys who deserve it more.”

He chalked his efficiency up to “a military mindset.”

Strouse received his award for a slightly different type of achievement. As a DARE and GREAT (Gang Resistance Education and Training) instructor, he interacts with Deptford’s children on a regular basis — so much so that his students from Oak Valley school came out to support him. Strouse also advises the Police Explorers program.

“That was a big surprise, and it was just awesome that they think enough of me to come out on a rainy night,” he said of his students. “I’ve said for a long time that a police department is like any business — you need people that are good at a lot of different things. I love being out there with the kids and hopefully making them have a positive feeling about police in general.”